Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was hit by a pitch and taken off the field early during his team’s Friday contest against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn.
With the Astros leading 7-5, Altuve led off the top of the eighth inning against Twins reliever Josh Winder. The former AL MVP took a 94-mph sinker directly to his left hand and fell to the ground.
Altuve immediately called for medical assistance once he got back on his feet. The eight-time All-Star was taken out of the game and replaced by pinch runner Mauricio Dubon.
The Astros followed Altuve’s hit-by-pitch with three consecutive singles. Houston tacked on a total of three runs in the eighth inning to extend its lead to 10-5.
Altuve was 2-of-4 with an RBI before leaving the contest.
In his 14th season, Altuve is in the midst of another strong campaign in 2024. He entered Friday’s matchup sporting a .308 batting average with 13 home runs, 39 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
